Washington, Mississippi

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Washington is a small unincorporated town in Adams County, Mississippi, United States, close to Natchez.

[edit] History

The town of Washington's namesake is George Washington. It was originally settled by Colonel Andrew Elliot and John Foster.

The seat of the territorial legislature was moved from Natchez to Washington on February 1, 1802, and stayed here to 1817.

The Mississippi statehood convention of 1817 met here in the Methodist Meeting House, later purchased in 1830 by Jefferson College.

Washington is the location of Jefferson College, now known as the Historic Jefferson College and which is a museum operated by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. It was created by an act of the first General Assembly of the Mississippi Territory in 1802 and was named in honor of Thomas Jefferson, president of the United States.

A ten-year old at the time Jefferson Davis, former President of the Confederate States of America, attended Jefferson College in 1818.

Elizabeth Female Academy, which is considered to be the first women's college, was established at Washington in 1818.

Clear Creek Baptist Church, erected in 1825 and one of the oldest churches in Mississippi, is located in Washington.

Washington was the state capital until it was moved to Jackson.

Former Mississippi governor Bill Allain was born here on February 14, 1928.